Drought has South County lakes jobs on the chopping block

SALINAS >> More than a dozen employees at Monterey County's South County lakes could lose their jobs due to the drought-driven low water levels, but county officials are still hoping to keep them employed.

In all, 14 positions at the lakes are on the chopping block due to an expected drop in revenue from visitors to Lake San Antonio and Lake Nacimiento this summer that will result in a $4.1 million budget cut for the upcoming fiscal year.

The county's recommended 2014-15 budget calls for funding those positions through the first three months of the fiscal year, until the end of September and this summer season. But there is no dedicated money for the rangers, maintenance and grounds workers, and office employees at the lakes whose jobs have been marked for elimination.

Lake San Antonio, which is below 4 percent capacity and has already shut down its north shore due to the lack of water, is slated to take the hardest hit and is expected to move into "caretaker" status after the summer season, according to interim county parks director Nick Chiulos.

According to county budget manager Dewayne Woods, the three months of funding will allow time to find other county positions for the parks employees whose jobs are to be cut. The Board of Supervisors could also find more money to keep the lakes positions in place in the hope that a solid rainy season will help revive the county's recreational revenue.

The supervisors will start up budget hearings today at 9 a.m. in the board chambers at the County Government Center.

The recommended $1.09 billion budget is about $43.5 million bigger than the current year's, with about two-thirds of the increase due to the costs of providing county employees their first raise in five years, according to County Administrative Officer Lew Bauman's budget message.

In all, the budget includes 184 new positions added midway through the current fiscal year, most of them at Natividad Medical Center to staff its new Level II trauma program, as well as a number in the Department of Social Services for Affordable Care Act implementation and enrollment. But those positions are largely paid for outside the general fund.

Initially, the county's baseline budget called for eliminating 42 filled positions, but county budget officials recommended tapping $4.3 million in available funding to restore 27 of those, leaving the 14 parks positions on the block. A 15th parks position, the Historical and Cultural Affairs manager, is also slated to be eliminated, but the Agricultural Commissioner's office and the city of Salinas have offered to contribute about $80,000 to help keep the position funded.

The proposed position cuts will leave a total of 24 employees at the South County lakes resorts, including seven at Lake San Antonio, after September.

In addition to the lake parks operations, the county contracts with a private management company — Cal Parks — to run its resort operations including marina, store, gas station, restaurant, and rental condos and lodges after purchasing them as part of a $22 million settlement with the previous resort owner.

Chiulos, who took over when previous county parks director Mike Ferry left at the start of May, said the entire parks department's revenue is falling behind costs including maintenance and upkeep, and said the department is planning to create a strategic plan that will include a review of the lakes resort concession contract model.